Thread of Hope: Noura’s story

Thread of Hope: Noura’s story

Thread of Hope is a campaign in order to raise funds for new sewing machines. For our women in Lebanon a sewing machine equals an opportunity to not only earn a source of income, but to build a community. Read more about our campaign here.

Noura is the third part in a four part series of stories of the women who come to our empowerment programs.

Noura, 41 year old mother of five, fled from Daraa, Syria six years ago. But Noura is much more than that description. She is coming into her own, as she participates in the SB OverSeas Women’s Empowerment Program in Beirut, Lebanon.

In this program, our participants are taught to crochet, sew, make accessories, and embroider. Here, Noura has learned to make clothes for her children, make gifts for her friends, and she feels as if she has learned a marketable skill. Beyond that, the classroom where she is learning these skills has become much more than a space for vocational training. Noura feels as if she has a safe community. She has made friends, she has an outlet for stress relief, and she is having fun.

Noura wants to share her story because she is grateful to have found this safe space. The SB OverSeas Women’s Empowerment Program has been something to look forward to, in light of the difficult financial circumstances at home that lead to her family marrying off her daughter. The Empowerment Program, not only equips women like Noura with skills that may one day help her find a job, but it is a safe place where it is okay for Noura and women like her to just be.

Written by Madison White who is currently volunteering with SB OverSeas in Lebanon.